Nissan to Accelerate EV Utilization Program at Roadside Stations in Japan

Nissan plans to provide a Nissan LEAF all-electric EV and LEAF to Home power supply system to roadside rest areas in all 47 prefectures of Japan.

Donations will be used to provide power after natural disasters and enhance the daily lives of local residents.

IRVINE, Calif. — Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. plans to donate 47 Nissan LEAF all-electric zero-emission EVs and "LEAF to Home" power supply systems to roadside rest area stations in all of Japan's 47 prefectures. The plan will begin in September 2013. One Nissan LEAF*, paired with a LEAF-to-Home power system, will be donated by Nissan to at least one roadside rest area (called michi-no-eki in Japanese) to each prefecture in the country.

Electric vehicles can serve as portable sources of electrical power both in day-to-day living and during emergencies, such as power blackouts following earthquakes or hurricanes. The Nissan LEAF, paired with the "LEAF to Home" power supply system, can be used as back-up power source in emergency situations if there are power outages and/or shortages by providing the stored electricity held in the Nissan LEAF's onboard batteries. In normal situations, the LEAF to Home power supply system helps stabilize the electrical grid and balance energy needs by charging an EV with electricity generated during the night, when demand is low, or sourced from solar panels and supplying it to homes during daytime when demand is high.

The michi-no-eki network in Japan has three functions: a rest area for travelers, an information source for local residents and road users, and a cooperative community function in which towns reach out to each other to work together to build vibrant communities centered on activities held at the michi-no-eki stations. As the stations are public facilities often located alongside important arterial roads, in recent years they serve as bases of operations during natural disasters.

The lithium-ion batteries of Nissan LEAF can store 24kWh of electricity. With the "LEAF to Home" power supply system complemented by a Nissan LEAF, power can be supplied from a Nissan LEAF to some parts of a michi-no-eki's facilities in case of power outages caused by disasters. It is expected that these michi-no-eki road stations will function as evacuation centers for local residents or a base for restoration support activities in the event of a natural disaster.

The donated Nissan LEAFs can be used as vehicles to transport the elderly and expecting mothers who find it difficult to purchase food and daily commodities at the roadside stations' stores.

The Nissan LEAF is the best-selling electric vehicle in the world, with 75,000 LEAFs sold to date. As a leader in zero-emission mobility, Nissan is continuing to develop electric vehicles while engaging in comprehensive efforts to expand the use of electric vehicles and promote sustainable mobility.

*The Nissan LEAFs to be donated for this project have previously been used for test drives at Nissan dealers.

About Nissan Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.